Key Points
- The DOS published a Federal Register notice on June 10, 2022, modifying Diversity Visa (DV) passport requirements
- Applicants will no longer face penalties for submitting inaccurate or incomplete passport information, as long as the information is not relevant to their eligibility
- A unique issuance or serial number linked to the principal entrant’s valid and unexpired passport is not required
- Applicants do not need to claim an exemption to the passport requirement
Overview
On June 10, 2022, the Department of State (DOS) published a Federal Register notice to remove a requirement that Diversity Visa entrants must provide certain passport information.
What are the Changes?
The final rule states that applicants will no longer be penalized for submitting incomplete or inaccurate passport information, as long as the information is not relevant to the applicant’s eligibility. Individuals who submit an electronic DV entry form do not need to provide a unique issuance or serial number associated with the principal entrant’s valid and unexpired passport. Additionally, they do not need to claim an exemption to the passport requirement.
The new rule follows a federal district court’s decision to vacate a 2019 regulation requiring DV entrants to provide valid passport information with their DV entry forms. The DOS has removed the regulation in compliance with the court’s ruling. Before the final rule was issued, entrants who submitted incomplete or inaccurate passport information were automatically disqualified from that year’s DV selection.
Written by: Lucy Halse, Content Marketing Associate, Envoy Global
Source: Federal Register
